Moroccan cuisine and unfussy .dishes have envolved from persia via the arabs .from andalucia with the returning Moors and from the colonial french but the overrriding principle is to throw all the ingredients into a dish and then leave it to cook slowly .
Prime exhibit is the national dish of tajine. it's essentially a slow-coooked stew of meat (usually lamb or chicken ) and vegetables ,with olives tangy preserved lemon, almonds or prunesprunes employed for flavouring .
The name describes both the food and pot it's cooked in-a shallowearthenware dish with conical lid that traps the rising steam and stops the stew from drying out .
The name describes both the food and pot it's cooked in-a shallowearthenware dish with conical lid that traps the rising steam and stops the stew from drying out .
The other defining local staple is couscous ,which is again the name of the basic ingredient (coarse-ground semolina flour ) and of the diush ; the slow-cooked grains are topped witha rich meat or vegetables stew ,not unlike that of a tajine , it's full meal ,not a side dish .
Don't expect a menu in most traditional Moroccan restaurants, including many places ,once customers are seated the food simply arrives .First thing will be a selection of small hot and cold dishes,called salad moroccaine , actually carrots ,peppers, aubergine, tomatoes and the like ,each prepared differently s well as diced sheep brains and chopped liver , next briouettes -little envolopes of paper-thin ouarka (filo) pastry wrapped around ground meat, rice or cheese and deep friend, next pastilla (or b'stilla )which is ouarka pastry filled with shredded pigeon or chicken , almonds ,boiled egg and spices
bakes then dusted withcinnamon and powdered sugar Next a tajine of lamb or chicken following that,a couscous of chicken or lamb Next, desert of flaky pastry drizzled with honey and piled with fruit,Next,indigestion and the beginnings of a long-term aversion to all foodstuffs delivered in pottery dishes with conical lids .all the above is delivered with moroccan wine and finished off with mint tea and gawd help us more pastries .
To be frank , many liken the set-menu dinning experience to being a duck on a foie gras mounds , That a great portion of the excessive mounds of food is inevitably sent back to the kitchen almost untouched seems supremely wasteful as well as offering the dinner poor value foe money ,uneaten food is distributed to the poor but perhaps you might appreciate being able to make your own choices as to how you dispense your charity .
The National dish: is the tagine, and its quality varies widely. At its best it is a subtle stew of tender meat (lamb or chicken) with carrots, chickpeas and potato, served on a bed of fine and fluffy
couscous: Often accompanying the tagine (as well as many other savoury dishes) are preserved lemons, which refresh the palate and harissa a fiery red sauce made of chilli peppers,garlic and spices. Skewered and grilled meats, brochettes, are found on most menus.
fish dish : Image you will also find some good fish dishes. The city has a huge port, and a typical plat du jour (dish of the day) might be grilled sole or bream. Every other street in Morocco has an excellent patisserie serving expertly crafted fresh pastries, a legacy of the French occupation.
